Two local, active Stapleton moms began to explore an opportunity to raise awareness in their fight against childhood obesity, and more specifically Prader-Willi Syndrome. Both moms, parents to Jude (age 5) and Eliza (age 3) with Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS), wanted to give their children the opportunity to participate in a local, fitness-focused tradition on Thanksgiving Day with other children and families in their community.

PWS is the leading genetic cause of life-threatening childhood obesity, and for those affected, Thanksgiving can be a scary time of year (read more about PWS in the PWS section of the website). While there is no cure for PWS, the Foundation for Prader-Willi Researchis working diligently to fund research with the goal of understanding and treating specific aspects of the syndrome to eventually eliminate the challenges of this devastating disease.

The Team

Rachael Fischer

Rachael is from Indianapolis, Indiana but has resided in Denver since 2008. She and her husband moved to Stapleton about five years ago and have fallen in love with the local community. An avid runner, Rachael has participated in numerous races in Indianapolis, Chicago, San Diego, Los Angeles, Sacramento, Denver and Boulder. Rachael and her husband, Andrew, look forward to a long standing tradition with the Harvesting Hope 5k Race and hope it becomes an event for their son Jude to participate in every year at Thanksgiving.

Julie Foge

Julie was born in Dallas, Texas but has had roots in Colorado since she was a small child. She moved to Denver from Colorado Springs seven years ago and feels right at home in Stapleton. She and her husband, Derrick, love being outdoors but mostly enjoy anything that allows them to spend time with their three daughters, Amelia, Eliza, and Caroline. Her experiences with Eliza inspired her to become involved as a writer and presenter to the medical community, advocating for the parent’s voice by sharing her own personal story. She also finds great enjoyment in writing about her journey in parenting a child with special needs on her blog, Leaning Into Love.